What do you think?
by wolfensoul9
Summary: Hibiki has a mysterious encounter with someone. Someone who wants to help. Updated as of January the thirtyfirst.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I sure wish that Vandread was mine. If it was, everyone's job on the whole planet would be to think up new scenarios for our heroine. (I am far from kidding)

"Ugh… Dammit!" "That's the third time in the past couple of minutes!"

Hibiki picked himself off the floor which he had recently become acquainted with and began to dust off his orange vest. He was a rather short young man, standing only about 5 feet; his hair was always unkempt and was of a light black color.

"Arrgh, what is wrong with me today?" A cold vibration began its descent down his back.

Suddenly, Hibiki's body was no longer under his control. His jaw started to shake uncontrollably. "Sh-hit…th-hi-is a-aii-n't-t go-o-od!" He heard some faint footsteps approaching at quite an alarming speed.

"Oh, Mr. Alien, I'm going to fiiiiiiiind you!" Dita cried happily. She had now become quite accustomed to her chases with Hibiki throughout the _Nirvana_ and had to admit, she was beginning to find them very fun. "Hmmm…" she said to herself "If I were a Mr. Alien, where would I be?"

Dita, who was smarter than she acted, looked, sounded, and generally pretended to be, began to think while she caught her breath._ "Well if I were him I'd probably go to the cafeteria to eat" ,"I wonder how Mr. Alien can eat so much, and he does it SO fast!" "Although, if I had to eat those silly pills my entire life, I'd probably be the same way." _ Dita suddenly pictured herself extremely fat, due to the mass quantities of food she consumed every day. "Wow, I guess aliens don't gain weight, no matter how much they eat." _"Mr. Alien sure is lucky!" _

Dita paused her train of thought, as she realized that it had strayed off-topic. It tended to do that, for some reason.

"Should I go look in the cafeteria?"_ "No, that's too obvious even for Mr. Alien_ ", _"Think Dita, think…" _Then it came to her like a bolt of lightning._ "Ahah! I'd go… to Dita's room!" _She giggled.

"He'd never expect me to go looking for him there! She patted herself on the back, "Good job Dita!" She giggled again, then just as she stealthily began to creep to her room, she wanted to surprise him; she heard a voice overcome with anguish.

"Ddd-dii-iitt-taa…"

Dita gave a little "Eeep!" and slowly crept around the corner. She was a little scared, this voice sounded incredibly pained and melancholy.

Hibiki was losing awareness fast. _"Crap… what in the world… is happening to me...?" _ "Ddd-dii-iitt-taa…" His body, completely useless, slumped to the ground.

"_Damn… it all…, I'm so… weak…"_

The last thing he could consciously remember was seeing a red mass and feeling a soft warmth picking him up while screaming "AAAHHHH, SOMEONE PLEASE GET DOCTOR!" "MR. ALIEN IS HURT!"…

He heard just sobs then.

Yo, it's me wolfensoul9! This is my very first fanfic for anything ever! I can only hope that it's a good one. (Pssst, it is)


	2. A New Beginning

Disclaimer: Duh, Of course I don't own Vandread. Jeez, I'm only fifteen! Anyhoo, I'd just like to let everyone know that this story's title is NOT _Super_ _awesome story_; it's _What do you think?_ (That's actually the title, not what do you think the title is.) I'm going to make this chapter about three times as long as the last. Ummm… time to begin.

Chapter 2: A New Beginning

"**Hibiki…"**

Hibiki awoke with a start. Or, at least, he thought he was awake. The entire area he was in was just a big gray heap of nothing "Aaah, do what now?"

"**Yo, Hibiki."**

"Who the heck are you?" Hibiki said aloud.

"**Yo"** the mysterious voice replied.

"You're… Yo?" Hibiki thought that was the stupidest name he ever heard.

"**No, you're Yo!"**

"I'm Yo?" _"God, this sucks", "I definitely don't want to go through the rest of my life with a name like that"_

"**No!", "I'm just referring to you as Yo."**

Hibiki's brain was starting to hurt. "Wait, hold on, let me think…"

"I get it!" he exclaimed

"**Great"** the voice said, sounding relieved.

"I'm A Yo!" Hibiki thought for sure he got it right this time.

The voice sounded exasperated**. "UGH, NO! "Yo" is a term of reference, like "Hey"!**

"Uhhhh… huh?" Hibiki utterly failed to comprehend.

"**You're not very bright are you?"** The voice had a slight laugh in it.

This made Hibiki angry._ "Grrr… who does he think he is?"_ "Hey I have plenty of brains!" "I'd like to see you make a Vanguard from scratch!" "It's not all pounding things with a hammer ya'know."

"**Certainly not."**

Confident that he had won the argument, he turned around and crossed his arms, the biggest grin on his face. His Vanguard (or as he called it, his "Partner") was his greatest (and as he thought about it, one of his only) achievements, and he knew that only a small handful of people could make one of its caliber. "Now as I was say…" But Hibiki could only stare as a magnificent Vanguard was being created before him. It was entirely of a bright vermillion color. Hibiki watched, mouth agape, as he witnessed all the pieces, which had literally appeared out of nothing, slowly being assembled and reconstructed to form a most brilliant machine.

"**See? No hammers involved, just like you said"**

Hibiki was in awe, in spite of himself, he gasped. "It's… beautiful!"

This, as we already said, vermillion Vanguard stood at least fifty feet tall, had a monumental double edged partisan crackling with electricity that, Hibiki assumed, could short-circuit a Dread with a single touch, attached to its back. It didn't seem to have any outside thrusters, but Hibiki noticed that just underneath the neck area and running behind the partisan, along where a spine would be, were many circular openings that constantly emitted fumes he thought that maybe there were smaller thrusters inside of them. It had no legs. Its torso rested on a circular band of metal that, Hibiki realized, was its main source of transportation seeing as how there were many thrusters attached to it. He could only imagine the amount of energy that it could produce. Its arms were paved with several yellow spherical objects and he could only guess their function.

As if in answer to his question (and this very likely was the case) one of the spheres levitated off the mecha, shot a few dozen lasers, and in ten seconds, completely severed the left hand. It then inserted itself into one of the fume spewing holes while giving off a sound that could be compared to a chuckle.

The entire ship gave off an orange brilliance as the hand, which up till now was a smoldering pile of junk, instantaneously regained its former splendor. It reattached itself to its appropriate arm, giving Hibiki a thumbs up.

Hibiki had now regained his composure and nervously stated "I guess… it's alright…"

The mystery voice disagreed **"No… No." "Hmph! It's not that great. I mean come on, it only has one weapon." "Well, not including the healing spheres laser cannons."** It added as an afterthought.

"**Hibiki…"**

"What?" Hibiki wasn't really paying attention. He was still transfixed by the green god of a Vanguard in front of him

"**Do you know where you are?"**

This brought Hibiki to his senses immediately. "Huh?" "Oh right!" "Where the hell am I?"

"The last thing I heard was…" Images of the ceiling lights on the _Nirvana_… the warmth he had felt… the voice, full of concern, that had asked for help... All these thoughts ran through his mind. "It was…"

"**Dita…"**

Hibiki was shocked at the change in the voice's, uh, voice. It switched from being very casual and, as Hibiki realized, very much like Dita's, to a somber and deep tone. Hibiki began to wonder two things.

Why did this being's presence with him totally numb any and all of his confusion and fear? "_Wait, fear?" "Hibiki Tokai has never heard of the word fear" _he corrected himself in his mind. _"Redo the list!"_

Why did this being's presence with him totally numb any and all of his confusion? He thought _"Well, that Vanguard was pretty cool…" _but a small voice in the far reaches of his mind whispered _"But I was relaxed before I saw it" "Perhaps it's because the voice reminds me of a certain someone." "A certain red-haired someone whom I feel comfortable around…" "No!", "WHAT AM I THINKING" "I can't STAND that girl!"_

Where the hell was he? He had nothing on this.

"**Shut up" **said the now commanding voice

Hibiki was taken aback, for the moment "Wh…What did you just say!" Hibiki was about to go on a full blown raving, but he was cut short by a quicksand-like substance that had formed around his toes. "What the hell are you doing!" "Come out here and fight me then!" (So much for not raving)

"**YOU!" "SHUT UP!" "DON'T YOU REALIZE THAT YOU DO CARE FOR HER" **The voice, once so calm and kind, quickly escalated to a menacing boom.

"I… suppose…" Hibiki silently cursed himself again. His fear, as much as he liked to pretend it didn't exist, was now quite apparent in his choke of a voice.

"**YOU _SUPPOSE!"_**

Hibiki wanted very much to cover his ears, but unfortunately his forearms were now completely submerged. "Damn you…" he continued to struggle "Let.. me… GO!"

"**NOT UNTIL YOU CAN TELL ME WHY, EVEN THOUGH YOU CARE FOR…"** The voice seemed to have trouble getting the name out.

"**Dita... You still treat her like dirt!"**

Hibiki's neck was now being covered "ARG, HOW SHOULD I KNOW?"

"**Well then…" **The voice was now softer than it had ever been. **"If I have to teach you by force then…"**

Hibiki's last sight was the Vermillion Vanguard's healing spheres putting themselves in a formation above him, like a constellation. It was Dita's smiling face.

"Huh, Di…ta…?"

"**So be it..."**

Authors note:

Hello again! Please remember, reviews make the world go round! (Or else.)


	3. All Alone

Disclaimer: Vandread is MINE ALL MINE! MWAHAHAHAHAH! (Notices FBI car rolling into driveway) AAHHH! (Quickly deletes Vandread is MINE ALL MINE! MWAHAHAHAHAH!) FBI dude points a menacing finger at me and drives away. Whew, that was CLOSE! Actually I own squat. (Breaks down crying). Sniff… well, except for this…

Chapter three: All alone

Dita just couldn't understand what had happened to her poor Mr. Alien. She saw him fall to the ground and she reddened a bit when she heard him call her. _"He said my name…"_ However when she noticed that Hibiki wasn't moving anymore, except for his ragged breathing, she quickly screamed. "AAAHHHH, SOMEONE PLEASE GET DOCTOR, MR. ALIEN IS HURT!"

She hoisted Hibiki onto her back, silently thanking him for being so unusually cooperative. Of course, then she realized… _"Oh no…, he's unconscious!" _she screamed in her head. "Don't worry Mr. Alien…" "I'll make sure nothing happens to you…"

As she began her trek to the infirmary, Dita noticed that her earlier cry had gone unnoticed. "Hey, is anyone here?" "Please… someone help us!" "Mr. Alien needs help…"

No one answered…

"Di…ta…?"

"Huh…? Oh, Mr. Alien you're awake!"

"Dita… how many times… tell you…name's…not Mr. Alien…"

"Don't talk Mr. Alien… I'm going to get you Doctor and he'll make you better…"

"You silly… " Hibiki drifted back into unconsciousness

"_Oh no!" "I have to hurry or else Mr. Alien is gonna…"_ Tears began to pool into Dita's eyes. "No! I mustn't think of things like that" "Mr. Alien is gong to be fine…" "I'm going to make sure he's okay!" She brightened a little.

"_Besides, he still hasn't kept his promise to me_…" "And the sooner I get Mr. Alien back on his feet, the sooner he can do just that!"

With new resolution, Dita taxied Hibiki towards the elevator. She was beginning to feel strained, even though Hibiki was smaller than her. _"I don't care how tired I get; Mr. Alien is going to that infirmary."_ As she pressed the button leading into the Bridge, Hangar, and Medical Ward area, she recalled a particular incident that happened about a week ago.

(flashback)

"Come on Ezra, it's almost there!" Dita encouraged.

"Dita…Hi…biki, there's something I need you to do for me…" Ezra panted. She gripped both Dita and Hibiki's hand. "You two … must… be friendly… with one another… you understand?" Dita and Hibiki looked into each other's eyes for about a second before they both felt embarrassed and pulled away from each other's gaze. But in that space of time, Dita knew she felt…

something…

It was strange; there hadn't been many occasions that this had happened but…

(flashback end)

"_When I looked into his eyes…I felt like that's where I belonged." "I felt as if my entire world would depend on me making him happy and content." "I wonder if that's what Mr. Alien thought too…" _

Ding

Dita carried Hibiki out of the elevator (which thankfully didn't break down this time) and towards the infirmary. "Where is everyone Mr. Alien?" Dita asked Hibiki. The normally busy hallway that led to the bridge was now completely devoid of people.

"Hey… Dita…"

"Mr. Alien you must save your strength!" Dita was now very worried. "_Oh no! He sounds much worse than he did before!"_

"Dita… why's it… so cold in here… huh…?"

"Oh… poor Mr. Alien…" she whispered to herself. "It's okay, we're almost there…"

"Almost… where?" "To my room?" "Ahh… good, I could use a nap" He nestled his head into Dita's hair. "Mmm… cozy…" Dita blushed profusely at this.

"_Oh god, HE'S DELIRIOUS!" _

She poured on the speed but decided against it for fear of disturbing Hibiki from his "nap". Fortunately for her (and Hibiki), they were there. She dropped Hibiki onto the sickbed then planted herself into a nearby chair so she could catch her breath. "Doctor?!" No response. "Paiway?!" Nothing. "No way!" "WHERE IS EVERYBODY?"

"**They can't hear you."**

"What? Who…who said that?

"**Yo, it's me"**

"Your name is…Yo?"

"**Oh god, not this again…" "Look, for the record, my name is NOT Yo, nor will it ever be."**

"Ummm…Okay then… Mr. Bigvoice… Do you know where everyone went?

Sound of cars colliding **"Mr….Bigvoice…?"**

(Pushing fingers together)"Well, since your name's not Yo… and you have a Bigvoice…I thought I'd call you… I mean if you'd prefer something else I could…maybe…

(Laughing) **"Hahahaha! No, that's why I like you Dita!" "Mr. Bigvoice suits me just fine."**

"Great!" Dita said happily

"**Dita…"**

"Yes?"

"**Do you know where everyone is?"**

She couldn't believe she'd forgotten about poor Mr. Alien. "Oh! Right! Please you must help him!"

"**Now, now, no need to be ashamed of your blatant disregard for Hibiki's safety." "After all, I do have that effect on women."**

"No!" Dita explained "It's not like that at all!"

Dita suddenly felt the whole ship bounce up and down.

"**AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH! Aheh… ahem! "I mean it's… aheh, just that Hibiki's in critical condition and you're just standing there…"Oops! I'm sorry…I…didn't mean to…"**

Dita was on the verge of tears after hearing the words "critical condition" "Please… You… mu…must tell me wh… where Doctor and the others are…" "So… then…they can help Mr. Al… Alien…" She broke into sobs.

"**Aaah! No… You don't need to cry…" "Ummm… I'm sorry." "No more jokes okay?"**

Dita wiped her face "No it's alright…." sniff "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be so sad… it's just… I'm the only one here… and Mr. Alien is…is" The words "critical condition" raced back through her mind.

"**Don't worry Dita, I will help you"**

She was surprised of the change in Mr. Bigvoice's, uh, voice. Where it had been very brash, blunt, and (Dita realized, much like Hibiki's), it now sounded caring and sympathetic. "You will!" "Oh, that's wonderful!" "I promise I'll make you a big lunch as thanks!" "Mr. Alien might get a little mad, but I'm sure once I explain it to him he'll be alright." Dita put on a smile.

"**That's better… No one likes to see you sad…" "Wait, what the hell are you doing…?" "Oh crap, of all the times…!" "AAAAAAAHHHHH NOOOOO…"**

"Mr. Bigvoice…?" Dita asked, confused. "Mr. Bigvoice, are you still there?" She was now worried for Mr. Bigvoice too.

"I thought he said he was going to help us…" "I guess… I'll just have to… I'll just have to…" Her vision blurred once more as she looked at Hibiki's pain-racked body lying on the hospital bed. "I just don't know what to do…" "If only Mr. Alien was awake, then we could get through this together…"

Dita tried to hold back her sadness, she knew that Hibiki wouldn't like to see her cry, but just the thought of never seeing anyone on the _Nirvana_ again was too much for her heart to bear…

Memories of all her friends flooded through her mind as she remembered all the good times they had shared. "Meia…" A single tear formed in her left eye.

"Jura…" It fell, tracing a line across her face before falling to the floor…

"Parfait…Bart… Doctor… BC… Barnette…" She would miss all of them so much… they were her only friends…

"The Captain… Gascongne… Ezra…" She had tried as hard as she could, but…

"Pyoro… Misty… Kalulah…Paiway…" She couldn't hold it back any longer…

"Hib…iki…" And then the tears just kept on coming.

"_I'm all alone. All alone… with a dying crewmate" "A dying crewmate yes… but also a good friend" "A friend that I can't help save…"_

Authors note: You are getting very sleepy… veeeery sleeeepy… wheeen iii cooount to threee, yoouu wiilll revieew myyy stooorryy. Oooonnne… twwwoooo…THREEE …REVIEW!


	4. New Aquaintances

Disclaimer: Me+ not own Vandread

Chapter four: New acquaintances

"**Awww… come on, I really don't have time for this!"**

"I told you, you were not to interfereterfereterfereterfere…"

Mr. Bigvoice's mind felt like it was being eaten by termites.** "Can you cut that out? "Your echoing is giving me a migraine"**

"Buuut IIII liiiike the echo"The new voice said whiningly. "Hmph… fine!"

"**Back to the issue at hand, what was so important that you had to pull me away from the _Nirvana_?**

"You were told not to mess with their lives" The new voice stated matter-of-factly.

Mr. Bigvoice feigned astonishment **"What!" "Since when?"**

"Don't give me that!" "You knew full well what you were doing is not allowed!"

"**But… she just looked so helpless… and I felt so sorry for her…" **Mr. Bigvoice trailed off.

"It doesn't matter!" "Look, I'm sorry that you feel this way, but you have to let these people…" The new voice knew what would result of his next words… "Work it out on their own…"

"**WHAAAT!" "You can't be serious!" "You mean to say that we can't…"**

The new voice interrupted "Yes! We need to let these people act in accordance to their own thoughts!"

Mr. Bigvoice couldn't believe what he was hearing! **"But if we aren't involved" **he said those two words as though they were a sin** "then what's the point of them existing at all!"**

Mr. Bigvoice and his counterpart were now getting infuriated by each others ideas. "YOU DON'T KNOW IF THEY EVEN EXIST IN THE FIRST PLACE!" The new voice now sounded like it had been engorged with acid. "And why do you even care what happens to them?" "We've had countless others, so why are these so different?"

Mr. Bigvoice muttered unintelligibly.

"Speak up!"

"**I…don't know…"**

The new voice was stunned. "What!" "You can't not know!" "It's just not possible!"

"_Now I know you know that isn't true." "I taught you better"_

Both voices gasped. In unison, they stated **"Overseer!"**

"_I taught you both that anything was possible."_ Mr. Bigvoice could suddenly feel the great presence of the Overseer shift to his direction. _"Even something such as this."_

"Overseer!" "He has been accused of assisting the crew of the spaceship _Nirvana _in their trials"

"_First off, get rid of you two's ridiculous voices." "They're annoying." "Especially your outlandishly bold-faced one." _

The second voiced sighed "First I lose my echo and now this…" "Alright then, what say you, oh great Overseer, will be the punishment for his most horrendous offense against your Grace?"

"_Oh please… kill the formalities!"_ The Overseer once again turned his attention to Mr. Bigvoice. _"Is this statement true?"_

"Yes sir…" Mr. Bigvoice answered hesitantly but gradually gained strength as he went on "But if we are to not pay attention to these people then how are we to feel them dealing with their lives?" "I just don't see what the point of their existence is if we don't FEEL them being there." "I mean come on, that is the meaning of life after all…"

He was suddenly cut off by the second voice. "But as I said before, we've done this many, many times before and you've never had a problem until now!" "And now you're telling me you don't know why?"

Mr. Bigvoice responded angrily "YES!" "I'm sorry, but I just don't!"

The second voice had had enough. "Overseer, this is preposterous." "Just exile him or something so we won't have to deal with these nonsensical notions anymore."

The overseer ignored the second voice completely. _"Mr. Bigvoice this is unacceptable." "I'm going to have to"… "Wait a minute…" "What kind of name is Mr. Bigvoice?"_

"Uhh… well… you see… Dita enjoys giving people certain names that match their attributes… And since you hadn't told us to get rid of our big voices yet, that's what she decided to call me…"

There was a small change in the Overseer's voice, as if suddenly realizing something very important. _"And… you did not object to this name?"_

The second voice interrupted once again (It was a bad habit of his). "Sir, I hardly think that's the point here."

"_Shut up and stop interrupting us." _The second voice gave an indignant "Fine I will!" as Mr. Bigvoice continued to talk.

"Well, no sir… I mean that's what she wanted to call me, and I didn't want to disappoint her any more than she already had been... seeing as how things were looking so grim for her…" "I just couldn't bear the thought of causing any more pain for that poor girl… so; yeah I let her call me that" The voice paused, thinking what would happen to him when he said what he planned to say next, but then decided that even though the consequences would be severe, he really didn't care enough to let that stop him. "Besides... I think it's kinda cute."

The second voice was outraged and amazed at this new turn of events. "WHAT! KINDA CUTE!" "YOU MUST BE OUT OF YOUR MIND!"

The Overseer was on his final straw _"__THAT'S ENOUGH OF YOUR INTERRUPING!" "Leave, now!"_

Now there is something you should know about the second voice. Throughout his existence, he has always been what one would say, "Intellectually challenged", thus he was always made fun of by all the other voices. In fact, him obtaining a role as a main voice was a huge accomplishment in itself. One might think that after countless millennia, he just might have obtained a smidgen of common sense, right?"

Sadly, this was not the case.

For the second voice said "But sir, I…"

"**_NOOOOOOOOOOOW!"_**

Any one who was listening at that time could hear the muffled screams of the second voice growing fainter and fainter until there was nothing left.

"_My god, he's annoying!"_ Mr. Bigvoice could hear the Overseer breathing heavily.

"Just calm down sir, he's gone now, everything will be alright…" Mr. Bigvoice felt awkward trying to console his superior.

"_Okay…I'm good… I'm good…" "So… where were we?"_

"Ummm… I believe I was saying how I thoughtDita's nickname for me was… cute."

"_Right, right…so, let's continue..."_

All throughout the pirate ship _Nirvana_ people were not in their respective places. Gascongne wasn't in the register constantly encouraging people to "smile, smile". Magno's vacant chair overlooked the bridge, which normally contained Ezra, her newborn child Kalulah, Amarone, Belvedere, and Misty, but no one was there now. Jura was not at the salon nor in her room doing her daily routine of brushing her hair for half an hour. Meia's normal hangout spot, the Tactical control room, was empty. Paiway was nowhere to be found in the secret corridors of the ship that she used for her "Pai checks". The main engine room, which under normal circumstances, housed the majority of the tech crew, including Parfait, was bare of any activity except for the quiet pulsing of the Pyxis. Bart, who was the source of power that enabled the _Nirvana _to move, was not in his standard spot. Even Duero, who was arguably the least likely person on the ship to not be where he was supposed to be, wasn't in the infirmary. In fact, the only two people on board this shadow of a spaceship was a unconscious young man trying to fight for his life, and a girl who was right there beside him, holding his hand and praying that somehow, her "Mr. Alien" would be alright.

(flashback)

It was early "morning" (since they live on a spaceship there really is no day or night) and Dita had just woken up from her dreams of aliens and UFO's and had started to go looking for Hibiki (That girl has a one-track mind). "Hmmm… now I wonder if Mr. Alien is already up?" She smiled to herself. "He still hasn't kept his promise to me, but I'm going to make sure that today he visits me in my room." _"But every time I bring it up, he always tries to run away" _she thought to herself. "Hmm… I have to make sure that he's too tired, that way he won't be able to!" Sometimes Dita wondered if she spent too much time thinking about Hibiki. She should be using her brainpower to find ways to outsmart the Harvesters, not him. That was what all her friends told her, at least. She sighed. _"I just can't help it though_" "_I don't know why, but I just can't seem to get him out of my head_…_" "And every time I see him I just want to do something for him that makes him happy."_ She sat down against one of the corridor walls. "It just seems… that no matter what I do though…it always makes him mad at me…" "It just seems… like he never wants to be around me…" Dita began to feel sad_. "Maybe if I really wanted… to make him feel happy… maybe I should just… leave him alone..."_ It was strange. Normally, Dita was a constant optimist, always trying to make people feel better about themselves, and always, always encouraging them to be happy. _"But…" _she thought sorrowfully to herself, _"Whenever I think about Mr. Alien not liking me…" _ "It just makes me feel so sad…"

"Huh? What makes you feel sad?"

Dita looked up at the mysterious voice that had interrupted her thoughts. "Oh, it's nothing Mr. Pilot…"

"Hmm…Why do I get the feeling you're not telling me something?" Bart asked quizzically.

Dita waved her hands in front of her face and gave a nervous smile "No, no, I'm fine, really!"

Bart had been on the _Nirvana_ for quite a while now and had gotten rid of most of his propaganda-induced fear of women. He also liked Dita and knew that something, was indeed, troubling the usually jovial girl. But he also felt like whatever it was, he, a man, really wouldn't be able to help with a woman's issues (for once he keeps his big mouth shut.) He eyed her suspiciously. "Hmmm… well alright." "Anyways, Gascongne told me I'm supposed to help prepare for the turkey dinner we're having tonight, so that's where I'm going."

Dita was confused. "But why would she ask you?" "You don't know anything about real food." She made a face. "All you men ate were those icky pills."

"That's what I said!" "I told her it would make a lot more sense to have one of the other women take care of things like that, but she told me that if I didn't, she would lock me in the storage room with Jura for the rest of the day!"

Dita shivered "That's sounds scary!" She knew how stuffy it was in there and could only imagine what would happen…

Jura: THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!

Bart: (nervously) Hey… don't look at me like that…

Jura: (menacingly) My beautiful hair needs serious moisturizing and since you're the one who got us stuck here, you had better find some sort of hairspray or else!

Bart: (scared) Uhh… Jura, whach'a doin'?

Jura: (laughing evilly as she takes out a knife) If I don't keep my hair in tip top condition, I MIGHT get a little… CRAZY!"

Bart: (screaming and running away) AAAH! WHERE WERE YOU KEEPING THAT!

Jura: (laughing insanely) C'MERE BART, I JUST NEED A LITTLE BIT OF MANBLOOD TO MOISTERIZE MY HAIR!

Bart: (crying) Help! Anyone! Jura's gone mad! Duero! Barnette! Hibiki! Oh great Grandpa, I'm asking for help with a woman from HIBIKI! AAAHHH! I ALWAYS KNEW WOMEN WERE EVILLLLL…

Dita trembled as she came back to reality. "Well Mr. Pilot, it's always been said that you knew how to save your own skin."

"I swear Gascongne is doing this on purpose…" He sighed pitifully. "Well, I guess I'd better go and start on that turkey…"

A light bulb suddenly shone over Dita's head (not literally). "Hey, Mr. Pilot?… How about you let me take care of that for you?" "You said so yourself, this really is a woman's job!" she gave her most compelling smile.

Bart couldn't believe his ears! He knew that Dita was nice, but this… "Wow! Really! You mean it? Thanks!" "Now that that's out of the way, I can…" He paused, realizing that he really didn't have any thing else to do. "I can go… and…help with other… things…" He tried hard to be convincing, but failed miserably.

Dita laughed, knowing full well that he would probably just go and hide from

Ms. Gascongne for the rest of the day. "Okay, Mr. Pilot." "Have a nice day!" She cheerfully waved goodbye. "Now to put my plan into action!" she said giddily as she nearly skipped to the kitchen.

(end flashback)

Dita lifted her head from the tearstained sheets as she wiped her face on her sleeve. She looked at Hibiki's face, hoping to see him open his eyes and tell her to stop crying and smile like she normally does. She would even settle for him to get mad at her for continuously calling him Mr. Alien and start running away right now. But all she saw was a cold sweat running down his neck and his face uncontrollably twitching at a rapid rate. "Oh… Mr. Alien, please be okay" Her big blue eyes began to water once more at the sight of him lying there in pain. "I have to do something!" "Duero and Paiway may not be here, but I am going to save Mr. Alien if it's the last thing I do!"

She walked over to the computer panel, which had several diagrams and charts listed on it from a previous patient. "Umm… I'm sure these aren't TOO important…" click Deleted. Now there was a menu of special commands for the operator to choose. As she scrolled down the list she read them aloud "Let's see…" "History… index… Ah!" "How about 'diagnosis'?"

Author's note: Oh no! Dita with computers! Will the _Nirvana _survive this new threat? If I get some reviews you might find out. (I'll continue it anyway.)


	5. Undying Loyalty?

Disclaimer: Vandread is owned in it's entirety by Gonzo. Although personally, I think I could've done a much better job.

Chapter 5: Undying loyalty?

Dita clicked the "diagnosis" button in hopes that it would tell her what was wrong with Hibiki. Unfortunately, it wasn't going to be that easy.

Password

"Ummm… hmmm… what would doctor's password be?" Dita thought for a bit as she tried to guess what the enigmatic doctor password was._ "This is hard… Mr. Doctor doesn't reveal much about himself…" _ "Ahah! I bet I know!" She typed in "interesting".

Access denied

"Wow, I'm surprised; I thought that would be it for sure!" "What else would Mr. Doctor have as a password?" This turned out to be an extremely hard task for Dita as she soon realized that, unlike her, the doctor was a very logical mind and would not follow her normal process of picking a password (which was picking something dear to her heart). Dita thought and thought but she just couldn't seem to get it right. She tried several other answers such as "Parfait", "Vandread", and "Paiway", but nothing seemed to work.

"Oh, I just don't know!" Dita sighed in frustrated defeat. "I guess I'm just not smart enough to figure things like this out by myself" she said sadly. "I would always ask Parfait to help me out in situations like this, but now that no one's here…"

She looked around, hoping against hope that someone, anyone, would be there to help her, but all she saw was an empty room, quiet save for the labored breathing of Hibiki on the bed.

"I mustn't give up!" "Mr. Alien is counting on me!" She actually blushed a bit at her own words. _"Mr. Alien is counting on me…" _ She sighed happily at this trust Hibiki had given her, even if he wasn't conscious to give it. "I must concentrate!" _"If Mr. Doctor's thinking is opposite of mine, and mine is picking something close to me, then…" _ "Bingo!"

She typed in "Harvest"

Access granted

"Yay, I did it, I did it!" Dita squealed jubilantly as she hopped up and down in joy. "I bet Mr. Alien will be so proud of me!" she giggled, happy that she could help Hibiki. "Now all I have to do is…" She paused as she realized she had no clue. "Well let's just ask Mr. Computer!" Dita looked at the screen in hopes of finding out what had caused Hibiki so much pain. _"Oh… who could have done this to poor Mr. Alien?" "I know he gets mad at people a lot, but who would try and hurt him?" _ She actually made an angry face. _"Mr. Alien tries so hard to fight off the bad aliens and then someone repays him by making him sick!" _ _"Whoever it is, I'll make sure to tell the Captain, and they'll be in big trouble!"_ A sudden beep from the computer broke her thoughts.

Please enter symptoms of patient

"Umm… let's see… Mr. Alien's face is twitching… he seems to be in pain… sweating… and let's check his pulse…" She had seen Paiway do this several times with other injured members of the _Nirvana_, so she was fairly proficient at it. "Oh my, it's very fast!" She struggled to keep her self-control as she typed that in too. Just about the only thoughts going through her head was how she could get her "Mr. Alien" back on his feet again.

Please wait while confirming status of patient

Dita went back over to Hibiki's side and pulled a towel out of a medical drawer. "It's okay Mr. Alien, you've got me taking care of you, so you'll be alright!" she told him assuringly as she began to rub his forehead, trying to cool him down.

Additional info required for complete analysis Does the patient seem flushed?

In fact Hibiki did have a slight patch of red under his eyes. Dita clicked the "yes" button.

Patient has spasmodic occurrences in patient's face, correct? Once again, Dita clicked "yes".

Please enter time between occurrences Dita stayed by Hibiki for one minute. In that time she counted twelve times that Hibiki's head gave a little lurch. "Umm… sixty divided by twelve is… five, right?" She entered that into the computer.

Please wait while confirming status and computing resulting solution to patient's condition

Dita sighed and sat in a chair she had pulled up beside Hibiki's bed and looked into his face which, surprisingly, appeared to be content save for the occasional twitch. "Oh, Mr. Alien, what I wouldn't do for you…" She began to feel sleepy (watching over someone's life can really take it out of you) and her eyelids began to droop. _"No… I must stay awake in case something happens to him…"_ But then she thought how wonderful it might be to snuggle up to him and how comfy the bed might be… _"I'm sure he'll be alright, I've done a good job so far…" "Besides, he'll never know… This will be my little secret…" "Just one time…: I can be with him and him alone for just… one time…" _

She couldn't resist the thought of it anymore. Sighing with the feeling of complete peace and happiness that can only be obtained by being close to the one you love, she curled up next to her "Mr. Alien". Feeling a little guilty that she was taking advantage of Hibiki's inability to move by himself, she took his arm and wrapped it around her shoulders. As she drifted off to sleep, her last thoughts were how incredibly happy she was with Hibiki…

Hibiki's eyes slowly opened. He began to look around. Unfortunately, it didn't do him much good. No matter which way he looked all he could see was red. His first thought was that he was inside the Pyxis and it had been completely turned red by the Harvester's beam. He suddenly became aware that he could not feel his right arm. _"Aaah, what…happened?" "Why is my arm numb?" "I hope it's not injured…" "Uhh… I gotta get going… Who knows when the Harvesters could attack…?" _He was suddenly cut off as the rest of his senses regained most of their normality. "Holy… Aaah… my stomach…" It hurt Hibiki to talk, so he decided not to. _"What's going on… and…Ugh!" "GOD, I've never felt like this before…" _

Then Hibiki remembered about his dream with the mysterious voice. _"It's strange… that dream… I don't think the Pyxis was responsible… It wasn't blue, and the voice that I heard… didn't sound like it normally would…" _

Hibiki groaned, his stomach felt like it was going to split open. _"I don't think I can move my arm…" _As he began to tell his arm to try and move he smelled something.

"_Mmm… that smells nice… not like a food "smells nice" which would make me want to eat whatever it was… no this probably isn't a food item at all…" _Unfortunately for him, his stomach began to pain him twofold at the thought of consuming food. "Ouch! This sucks!" By this time his arm had started to move around, exploring its area.

"_Hmm… It appears to be on a soft surface, yet I can tell that underneath it, there are two hard bumps about the size of my hand…" _Suddenly Hibiki had a case of déjà vu. When he first met Dita, he had experienced something similar to this…

(flashback)

Hibiki woke up and found the strangest thing staring him in the face. It was somewhat conical in shape, and was completely black in color. "Huh, what's this?" he asked himself as he squeezed it to test how soft it was. Then he had looked up to see that it was attached to a hideous creature. "Aaah, it's a monster!" He tried to get up so he could defend himself when the "creature" said "W-wait!" and began to take of its helmet. He looked into Dita's eyes for the first time then and, strangely enough, just for that second, his fear of this unknown being was completely melted away.

(flashback end)

"_It's strange… when I looked into her eyes… I felt like that's where I belonged…" "I felt as if I could never leave the sparkling blueness of her gaze peering into mine." "Just for that second, and hardly even that, I just wanted to stay with her and make sure that no harm would ever befall that shining and ultimately captivating stare of hers…" _

Although Dita had not been put off by this incident, he soon found that many of the other crewmembers would respond with a good, hard, slap in the face if it ever occurred with them.

Hibiki was quite prepared to feel his cheek start to sting, when he realized that this was not what he had originally thought. The two bumps were almost rectangular in shape and were not as, well, bulbous, as were those strange objects on women's chests. He gave a sigh of relief as he confirmed that these, were most certainly NOT them. Seeing as how there was no danger of needing an ice pack for the rest of the day, he started to move his hand across them to find out just what they were.

"_Argh, I wish I could see what the hell it is I'm touching, but I can't even turn my head for some reason." "Maybe I can figure it out if I just use my hand to feel it…" _Hibiki drew a mental picture as he moved his hand around the unknown objects. _"Okay, so there's two rectangular hill-like thingies, and it seems like there's some sort of small valley in between them… alright what else?" _He moved his hand to what he thought was down in effort to gain more knowledge about this strange surface. _"Hmm… it seems to be quite flat from here on down and…what's this?" "In the middle of the entire thing, but below the hills is a long thin indention…" _As he went further down, he noticed that it began to curve outwards again, giving it an hourglass shaped figure._ "Hmm…I'd better go back up to be sure…" _Hibiki did so several times for good measure, and the image in his brain so far was that of an hourglass-like shape with two rectangular mounds in the north-east and north-west corners. _"That's not good enough; I'll have to go down further…"_

Hibiki did so. Going further…

Further…

Further and further down…

Down… down… slowly… sloooowly…

He mustn't miss out in any detail of this strange surface…

His hand must feel out every aspect of it's smoothness…

Even though his eyes couldn't see what it was he was touching, he had the oddest, and yet extremely powerful, urge to go southward on this object.

Not east, not west. South.

"_Must go south… simply must… go south…" _He honestly didn't know what had come over him. His head was thinking the most strangest of thoughts that he had ever experienced. The "old" Hibiki began to have a conversation in his head with this "new" Hibiki.

"_Why not north?" "Why south?"_

"_No… must go… south…" "South leads… to a happy place"_

"_Well… if you say so…"_

Hibiki WAS getting a little worried, though. His hand now seemed to be acting of its own will, and, Hibiki nervously observed, he was beginning to take pleasure in touching whatever it was he was… well… let's just say that "caressing" would be an understatement.

However, Hibiki's "expedition" was suddenly cut short (good thing too, otherwise the author would have to change the rating on this). He was stopped by a sound, or rather, a voice. "Mr… Alien… don't... leave…me" "I'm… so... lonely…" a soft voice pleaded.

Hibiki practically choked on his own heart as the truth hit him repeatedly and without mercy. _"Wait! "Red all around?" "Nice smells?" "Hourglass-like shape with two square mounds in the NE and NW corners?" _He gave an involuntary gulp. _"MR. ALIEN?" "Oh no, it's… then that means…I'm… I'm in bed with… with…"_

He screamed.

Dita blinked. Where was she? "Oh look, there's Mr. Alien!" She started running towards him in hopes of giving him a nice, big hug to celebrate him getting better. Hibiki looked up and saw her running to him. He shook his head pityingly. "Mr. Alien, what's wrong?" "Aren't you happy to see me?"

"Pfft! Since when have I ever been glad to see _you_?"

Dita stopped dead in her tracks. "Huh? What... do you mean?

"Go away Dita!"

Dita gasped "Mi… Misty?"

"Leave US alone!" Misty appeared standing beside Hibiki. Dita watched in horror as she gave a passionate kiss to Hibiki on the lips. And… And he returned it with much enthusiasm!

"Mr… Alien…?"

"Like Misty said, go away and leave us alone!"

"But… I… Mr. Alien… I just wanted to see if you were alright…"

"Well, as you can see, without you I'm perfectly fine!" Hibiki shouted at the poor girl.

"Besides, his NAME is Hibiki, right Hibiki?" Misty added as she began to wrap herself around him.

"Mmm… that's right, love."

Dita was on the verge of tears. "Lo…love?"

"Yeah, you silly girl, LOVE!" Hibiki spat at her. "Misty and I will be very happy together, especially without you around!"

Dita couldn't believe how harsh her "Mr. Alien" was being towards her. "But… I… I thought that…"

"You idiot!" "Why would he WANT to be you?" "You're stupid and clumsy, and always obsessed with aliens!" "I don't know how anyone can be with you for ten seconds without wanting to commit suicide!" Misty insulted her as best she could, making sure to continue the tears that were now running freely down Dita's face.

"No one LIKES you, so you should just go away!"

"I'm… I'm…sorry… I… di… didn't mean to…" Dita tried to finish but was interrupted by Hibiki.

"I'm… I'm… I'm…" he said mockingly "I'm so sorry that I'm a stupid girl who can't even finish her stupid sentences!" "Well it doesn't matter, I'm with Misty now, so you can be as dumb and deluded as you want!" "Goodbye, crazy UFO girl!" "I hope someday you meet a guy who will make you very happy, but then again, not really!"

Misty laughed in agreement as the two walked away. "Yeah, can you imagine if she had children?" "That would be the worst day ever in my book!" "I bet they'd be just like her, all crazy and annoying!"

Hibiki laughed also "Well, let's just hope that day never comes!"

Dita could hear their laughter fading away as she watched her beloved "Mr. Alien" walk away forever. "Mr. Alien…don't… leave me…" I'm… so lonely without… you…" she sobbed.

She couldn't believe he was gone…

If anyone was with her at the time they would swear they could actually sense the amount of sadness the poor girl was feeling, without even knowing she was there.

"_Mr. Alien… I… please… I'll do anything… don't…"_

"_Don't leave me… I lo-lo-lov-ve you…"_

She sat there, crying. Her pretty face was covered in her despair and desperation. She had no one left.

"_I… I… don't understand…" "Why does everyone keep… leaving me?"_ _"I… I know I'm just a silly girl who's obsessed with aliens… but… I just wanted everyone to smile and not be sad…" "I don't like to see my friends sad…" "All I wanted is for everyone to smile…" "I… I just wanted to take all their pain and worries and use my smile to make it go away…" "I wanted to be like a sponge, and just absorb everyone's hurt…" "It doesn't matter if I'm sad, just as long as others don't feel the same way…" "I know I'm clumsy and stupid, and I always get in the way, but I always felt that if I could just make everyone be happy and feel better about themselves, I had done a good job."_ _ "But now…"_

"Now I'm truly all alone…" "Please… Mr. Alien" "Give me another chance…" "I'll cook anything you want…" "I'll even call you Hibiki, all the time" "Would that make you happy?" "Please, I'll do anything…" "Just… please… don't leave me all alone…"

Dita's eyes were encased in a lake of tears. She had thought that as long as she had him, she could get through this terrible ordeal. Her frail body was trembling with sobs. Her throat hurt, but she didn't care. She had no one left. There was no one who could see this Dita. She could cry as much as she wanted now, and no one would get sad or worried because of it. Yes, that was good. No one else would get sad because of her tears. Even still, she would give anything to have Hibiki back. Anything at all. She was on the verge of collapse due to the dehydrated state her eyes had so mercilessly put her in. The world around her began to get fuzzy. Her already convulsing body began to sway. Dita, however, was unaware of all this.

"I'll do anything…" she repeated. "I'll clean your room." "I'll cook you the yummiest meals you've ever eaten." "I'll quit following you around" "I won't ever call you Mr. Alien again, unless you want me to…" She was now on the ground and barely coherent. She was about to say something else, presumably another plea for Hibiki to come back; until she heard a scream.

Hibiki screamed as he desperately tried to get Dita off of his arm. She suddenly jumped off of the bed, obviously frightened. She wheeled around to get a look at who it was that had saved her from that horrid nightmare. _"It was a nightmare, wasn't it?"_ It, of course was Hibiki.

"MR. ALIEN!" she instantly ran to his side and gave him the biggest, warmest hug she could muster. She then wiped her face with her sleeve. She didn't want him to see her crying. "Mr. Alien! Oh, I'm so glad it's you!"

Hibiki's first impulse was to say "Get off me, woman" and then try to push her away. But before he could do so, he saw that look in her eyes.

(flashback)

Everyone was preparing to go off into battle once more against the Harvest. Hibiki was in his partner and was all too ready to, as he put it, "kick some ass". Adrenaline was pumping through his veins. His senses were at their peak. He was the embodiment of a focused warrior. However, all of that could not have prepared him for the site he saw on his communications screen. It was Dita.

"Huh? What do you want?"

Dita's eyes were suddenly averted from his as she looked around, a sheepish look on her face. "Umm… I was just wondering… um… after the battle… well… there's something I would like you to do for me…

Hibiki didn't have time for this. "Spit it out already!"

But that only made her even more nervous. "I want you to promise me that you'll come to my room!" she said all at once.

Hibiki couldn't believe this girl! They were going into battle, and that's what she wanted to say? Were all women this weird? "What? That's what you wanted to say?" he yelled at her. "Now is not the time for things like that!"

Dita, however, wouldn't budge an inch. "No!" "Promise me!" "Promise me right now!" She had the most insistent and yet desperate look in her eyes that Hibiki was struck dumb. And as if his mouth started to work on its own, he suddenly found himself agreeing! Him! A man! Promising to come to a woman's room to do God knows what! Was he insane? It seemed very likely. But then he saw the look of relief, joy, and gratitude that had attached itself to Dita's face, and he abruptly began to feel like, for the first time, someone thought that he was actually worth something.

(flashback end)

Dita now had the same look in her eyes as she held on to him. She just looked so happy and, oddly, relieved that she was next to him, he decided to let her have her way, just this once. So, instead, he said "Who else did you think it was?"

Dita began to blush.

"_What a strange girl. First she's happy and now she's embarrassed." "I'll never understand women."_

"It's not that… it's just… I…" Dita stammered as she began to squeeze him more tightly.

"Well?" That grip of hers was impressive. Hibiki could feel the pain in his stomach began to hurt even more now that it had additional pressure being placed on it, but still, he allowed it.

"It's… It's nothing, I promise!"

She felt bad lying to him, but she didn't want to bother him with her troubles.

"_It's not that I thought you were someone else… I was just so relieved that you were still there beside me…" _ Dita thought to herself as she sighed and began to nuzzle Hibiki's chest.

A scary thought hit Hibiki. _" Wait, what is she doing?" "Oh shit! Don't tell me she knows I was rubbing her back while she slept!" _

Hibiki really wanted to change the subject. "Whatever… Where am I and what happened to me? And where is the rest of the crew?"

Dita was about to explain what she knew and about Mr. Bigvoice when suddenly…

Analysis complete

Well, I'm sorry that took so long. Thanks are in order to Ezequielhl. You're the only one who has reviewed all of my chapters. So…um… thanks! The next chapter will more than likely be the last. But in it, you'll finally learn what happened to Hibiki and just who is Mr. Bigvoice. Until next time!

Review…Review…Review (To anyone who has seen the movie _Logan's Run, _this is a spoof on "Renew, Renew, Renew".)

Seriously, review.


	6. The time of change

All right everyone, this is the second to final installment of this fic. I spent a lot of time and effort into these last two chapters, so I hope you guys appreciate it. By the way, I know that I labeled this story as a "humor" (and I think I'm pretty funny if I do say so myself), but there's going to be none of that in this one (except in the disclaimer), so I'm sorry if you're disappointed. (sniffs) Nobody in the reviews even commented on my funniness. Now I know how Bart feels… (sniff)

Disclaimer: Once upon a time, there was a boy who had everything he had ever wanted. Money, beautiful women, a huge mansion filled to the brim with pizzas adorned with sapphire and emerald toppings (yum). And, of course, he had the respect and adoration of all of his many, many fans. Vandread was the greatest hit in recent memory, and the world had him to thank for it. Yes, life was good. Sadly, this was just a dream by a fifteen year-old boy who wished with all his heart that it were true.

Chapter six: The time of change

"_Right, right…so, let's continue…"_ the Overseer prompted.

Mr. Bigvoice sighed with an uncertain tinge to his voice. "Sir, this has never happened before… and I'm sorry that I can't give you a better explanation…but… I mean… I know that it doesn't make sense for me to be behaving this way… but I…"

"_Mr. Bigvoice…" "I know that you know that I know what's going on here." "And I know that you know that I can't simply tell you what the reasons are for these events that have been transpiring." "However…"_

Mr. Bigvoice suddenly got hopeful. Maybe, just once, the Overseer was going to make things easy.

"_However…" _he continued._ "The annoying one does prove a valid point." "The crew of the Nirvana is but one of the many lives we have seen go by." "People live and people… die." "And yet, through all of the others, all of you have always adhered to never, not ever, becoming involved."_

Mr. Bigvoice felt, for the first time, a strange sense of foreboding. He had hoped that he would be understanding, but in the back of his mind, he knew that was a luxury the Overseer could not afford. He knew his time in the great realm of existence was short. Soon, as it was always said, he would simply fade, and his consciousness would just… disappear. He had done the unforgivable. He had done that which could not be undone. He had interacted with humans. _"Soon, the almighty Overseer will end me." "I simply must savor these last few moments…" "I know that I deserve it though…" "Before I go… I'd like to know… why is it that I found myself… unable to resist?" "This is, as I recall, the twelve millionth six hundred ninety-two thousandth four hundred and thirteenth group of minds, but out of all those, only in this one… do I find myself acting in such a way…" "Before this, my current actions would be inconceivable…" "Yet as soon as they entered the plane of existence, everything I believed and held dear… just changed!" "It just changed!" "I don't understand it!" "I was created to NOT be influenced by others!" "And here I find myself doing just that!" "It just cannot be!" "WHY ARE THEY SO DIFFERENT?" _"I must know!"He shouted at the Overseer. This was the absolute first time any of them have ever demanding something from the almighty presence, or the first time that anyone had spoken to him in such a manner.

"_These people…"_ the Overseer spoke with such a far-off and unconcentrated tone in his voice that Mr. Bigvoice thought he heard wrong. The Overseer never talked like that, and especially not after being yelled at. But then again, what would he know? No one had the stupidity to ever do so. _ "These people were meant to be so much more than the others" "Tell me, Mr. Bigvoice, what is the meaning of life?" _

That was easy. The Overseer had taught all of them that since time immemorial.

"To feel" "To feel emotions" "That is the meaning of life". Mr. Bigvoice began to recite the chant that all of them had been taught.

"_Humans are as humans please, to all of those concerned_

_Humans, however, do not agree_

_And thus cause worlds to burn"_

"_Yes, I can see that I have indeed taught you well." "Humans do not agree with one another, and it is on that basis that all wars and conflicts arise." "Some humans believe in equal treatment among genders. Some do not." "Some humans believe in God, while others don't" "Some humans believe that incest, rape, and murder are perfectly acceptable, yet are punished harshly because of it." "Is it really their fault? How can their bodies be punished for their minds believing in different things? Just because their beliefs on right and wrong are different than that of the majority, they are jailed, tortured, and often killed." "I pity those poor creatures. They are forever doomed to living in a society that does not accept their beliefs." "All of their strife and anguish that they receive, and often cause to others, is merely because their genetic coding is different." "Merely because their genes are different, does this really merit punishment?" "It is simply not their fault that they think differently." "Humans don't agree with one another, that much is true." "But, can you tell me why?" "Wouldn't it make more sense for their kind to be in complete agreement with their ideals and ideas?" _

Mr. Bigvoice could not deny the logic of the Overseer's words. He could also not deny the fact the he was amazed he was still present. Was it not always said that those who oppose the Overseer were immediately exiled to the realm of the nonexistent? He knew that there might still be a chance for him to come out of this unscathed. "Yes… it would indeed… I wonder… why is it not so?"

"_I see you know not the answer." "Don't worry, that is to be expected." "Even the concepts of good and evil are merely a drastic example of what I have just told you. Good desires good to overcome evil, and evil vice-versa." "It is that simple, each one wants their side to win so there will be less people that disagree with them." "Such is the case between the Harvest and the crew of the Nirvana" "Yet neither one can truly be eradicated until people stop disagreeing with each other in totality." "But even still…" "Human lives are exceptionally short in the overall scheme of things" "As you can see… the Nirvana and its inhabitants are trying very, very hard to stay alive." "All of them are pushing their bodies and minds to the limit so that good will triumph over evil." "But what will the effects of their efforts be in a few eons, long after their eyes witness their final dawn?" "There will more than likely be just as much pain and suffering as there was before the Nirvana's victory." "The people of that era will experience loss, death, misfortune, sadness, anger, depression… I could just go on and on." _Mr. Bigvoice felt the air around him begin to rapidly quick-freeze. _"But of course… that does not matter to the Nirvana." "They are only concerned with what is happening to them, in their lifetimes, and sometimes, maybe a few generations after that." "The task of watching over the countless millennia of human existence and how the interactions between them are executed is entrusted to me." "Hence my name." _

"_Even still…" _The vast quantities of ice that had erupted from nothing began to crack and shatter with increasing velocity.

"_It is almost like a game."_ Mr. Bigvoice thought to himself._ "One must look at what is happening to the environment around him, and then one must analyze what it is in reference to the Overseer's mood" "It is like facial expressions, only more complicated, and indeed, useful." _

"_Let's see…" "It becomes cold when he is disappointed, and now the ice is breaking apart very suddenly." "The Overseer must have had a quick change of feeling about a subject, like how some humans tend to look for the good in a tragic event in order to protect them from the pain." "Like Dita…"_

"_Even still…" _the Overseer continued. _"They really cannot be blamed." "It makes sense." "Why care about others that will exist long after you die?" "If you are dead, then you will not be able to reap the rewards of admiration, happiness, and peace of mind due to your noble actions, because, well… you're dead." "In essence, you will not be able to FEEL desirable feelings." "And that… sucks." "To not be able to feel desirable feelings… that is the ultimate state of unhappiness." "Yet… they simply cannot be blamed for their actions." "Why give up certain happiness in your life merely so others, others that you have never met and never determined whether they deserve, in your eyes, such happiness?" "If one human is happy, then there is one that is not." "That is unacceptable to most humans." "They desire all to be fulfilled, content and happy; and so do I." "This, however, is a fleeting dream, so long as humans continue to waste their abilities and lives in fighting the endless battle against one another."_

"_It truly is amazing." "Wouldn't you agree, Mr. Bigvoice, that if humankind felt the same way about everything, it would basically be paradise for them?" "No one would argue with one another, they would all pool their talents and abilities to help all others, everyone would be in complete and total agreement with one another." "And… in time… the vast majority of the misery in the human race would end." "There would be no more wars, no more wasted lives…" _the Overseer stopped himself._ "Goodness... wasting lives…" "Such stupidity those humans seem to possess…"_ He sighed and once again, the liquid in the air froze over._ 'No more poverty, no more misunderstandings, no more anything save for utter happiness and prosperity." "Humankind can overcome virtually any obstacle… if only they would stop fighting one another and work together." "But I just don't see how that is possible as long as they believe in different ideals." "If I were to ever meet that which created all things, I would love to ask why this is."_

"I agree" Mr. Bigvoice, as much as he didn't like to admit it, knew he had a talent for saying just the right thing at just the right time, and that statement was one of those times. It was incredibly useful for getting on peoples good side. He seemed to be able to take the most insignificant amount of info about a human's personality and still say something that would instantly endear him to said human. If what he said was the truth, however, was known only to him and the Overseer. He never got to exactly use said skill on any real human before, of course that was forbidden, but now…

"Sir I am still very confused…" Mr. Bigvoice was probably going to the gates of hell for even mentioned the blasphemy he had committed to the Overseer, however, today was certainly different from other days. "Why is it that the crew of the _Nirvana _is different from all others I have watched?" Mr. Bigvoice knew he shouldn't question the Overseer, he knew he shouldn't have gone to the_ Nirvana_, and he knew that his time was short. What he didn't know was the answer to the question he had just asked, and he would very much like one before he went.

"_Tell me." "Why did you go to the Nirvana?" _the Overseer's presence began to suddenly become much more soft and silky. That was one thing Mr. Bigvoice liked about him. You could actually, literally, FEEL the Overseer's mood. If he was pleased, it would feel like a massage, if he was disappointed, it would feel like a cold wind was blowing. No one knew what it felt like when he was angry. At least, no one that was still around. Mr. Bigvoice had personally never felt this current sensation from the Overseer, but he had heard stories. It had supposedly only happened once in all of memory. It was said that there was once a voice that had actually CHANGED the Overseer.

To Mr. Bigvoice and nearly all others, this was unfathomable. The Overseer simply did not change, leastly not by someone else. The Overseer was just that, an overseer. He knew everything, he saw everything, and he could pretty much do anything as long as it pertained to this particular sect of reality. He was nearly a god. He rarely, if ever, made an appearance, and whenever he did, most never heard about it, for usually those that had been involved had been exiled. The only scrap of a possibility that this story was true was the Overseer's first, last, and only rule. _"Anything is possible"_ In fact, it was Mr. Bigvoice (of course, he had a different name back then) himself that had figured out the odds of it being true. Seven hundred forty-seven thousand six hundred and ninety-one to one against. Strangely though, it was becoming increasingly apparent that the more unlikely something was to happen, the more often it did, if that made sense. For instance, it was nearly as unlikely that Mr. Bigvoice himself would be changed, and yet, he had. Hopefully, the answer why would soon become clear.

"Well sir, as you no doubt know, the vast majority of the crew of the _Nirvana _have completely disappeared."

"_Yes, I am very well aware of that."_

"In fact, there are only two members left, and one is unconscious for unknown reasons." "The other one, a girl named Dita Liebely, is presently trying to find a way to assist the boy, named Hibiki Tokai."

"_And then you went to help her, which you knew was forbidden."_ the Overseer added.

Mr. Bigvoice was prepared to finally witness what it felt like when the Overseer was angry, but oddly, nothing changed. "Y-yes I did. I honestly don't know how to explain it, but for the first time in my existence, I felt… well… um… I just don't know how to describe it. I'm sorry sir." He knew that wouldn't be an acceptable answer

"_Mr. Bigvoice. You know what the meaning of life is. To feel. However, what is the purpose?_

Mr. Bigvoice was not expecting that. "Wha… huh?"

"_What… is… the… purpose… of… life?"_ The Overseer said each word very slowly, as if talking to a small child.

" I… I don't know sir." Mr. Bigvoice replied

"_Hmm… I see."_ Mr. Bigvoice noted that the Overseer had a smug tone to his voice, and that the air around him felt as if it were suddenly being vacuumed up. Fortunately for him, he had no physical body, so this was not a problem.

"_Mr. Bigvoice, I do not believe you are telling me everything."_ The Overseer pressed. _"I know you know what exactly it is you felt, and that you are just too scared and ashamed to admit it."_

"So… you know…" he confessed.

"_Of course I do."_

Mr. Bigvoice began to mentally kick himself. _"STUPID, STUPID ME! I completely forgot that as soon as I re-entered this place, all knowledge that I had obtained would instantly be transferred to the Overseer. I was fine as long as I stayed in the physical world, but here… Argh!"_

"Overseer, I will be frank." "I don't know how or why it came to be, all I do know is that that is the case."

"_Worry not." _Mr. Bigvoice felt like he was taking a nice, slow, dip into a Jacuzzi. _"Now finally, after eons upon eons, is the time of change." _Mr. Bigvoice gasped. _"Yes, at last, our very way of life is going to be drastically altered." "It surprises even me that it was to be so soon." "Mr. Bigvoice, gather all voices of thought, reason, and their counterparts. Tell them all, that the Grand Day is arriving soon. We will need to be prepared._

Mr. Bigvoice could scarcely believe what he was hearing. "P-prepared for what?" He could not believe he was having this conversation. Him, being entrusted with a task such as this! The odds of this occurring were…were… well they were certainly very low!

Once again, Mr. Big voice felt a change in the air around him. Now it was circling around him at a high speed. _"I'm sure you already know." "You are different from the others." "That is why you felt compelled to go to the Nirvana." "That is why you could not resist helping that young woman" "That is why you found yourself unable to sit idly by while others suffer." "You were once human."_

Mr. Bigvoice had heard stories of being in the state of surprise. He had heard what it felt like. Of course, words could not accurately describe the level which he now felt.

"_Yes, it is as I have said." "Now go." "Go, and do as I have instructed."_

Mr. Bigvoice was speechless. His mind, however, was aflutter with innumerable thoughts. _"I… I… I w-was a W-WHAT!" " H-human?" "M-me?" "H-h-human?" "But…but…" "But… I… I don't understand!"_

"_On the dawn of the Grand Day, you will." "I know I have told you all that I will never respond to your thoughts, but as I have said, things, for the first time, are changing." "Oh, and you may do that idea that just crossed your mind before doing my task." "Farewell, Mr. Bigvoice."_

He remained, dumbstruck. The Overseer's words from earlier rang through his head. _"And… you did not object to this name?"_ He now realized why there was that change in the Overseer's voice. _"My god, the Overseer truly is a remarkable entity." "To be able to realize such things so quickly…" "But to think… me… a human!"_ Mr. Bigvoice sighed with a mixture of frustration, admiration, and excitement._ "At least, he allowed me to finish with my self-appointed task." _ And with that said, he left.

Pretty good if I say so myself. It was shorter than the previous chapter, but it had over 10,000 letters, so that's good. I actually spent some of my time that I should have been writing this, writing the 1,000 word addition to chapter five. Well, till next time. Long live Vandread.

If you review it, it will continue. Heh, this is actually a spoof on "If you plant it, it will grow. I'm working on the final chapter as we speak.


	7. Subtle praises

Alright, I know I'm evil. I know that at the end of chapter five, I said that chapter six would be the last chapter, and in it you would learn what happened to Hibiki. I lied. Sorry. I had originally intended for chapters six and the final chapter to be just one. I had not expected the amount of words that I would create between Mr. Bigvoice and the Overseer, but their conversation had a lot more depth in it than even I would have surmised.

Disclaimer: Vandread is not owned by me. Me. Own. No. Vandread.

Sue. Me. No.

Suing. Bad.

Not suing. Good.

Clear? Good.

Oh yes, and one final apology, mainly to those that dislike a lack of Vandread characters in one of my chapters. cough cough Ezequiehl cough. After all, that's why we're all here, right?

Chapter seven: Subtle praises

Tick

Tock

Tick

Tock

The only reminder of whether it was "day" or "night" slowly and methodically made these sounds.

Tick

Tock

The silence of the spaceship _Nirvana _was absolute, save for the ever-present presence of time being ticked away.

Tick

Tock

A door slowly opened on the constant reminder of our own mortality. Out of it, a wooden bird perched atop a small ledge began to chirp.

Cuckoo

Cuckoo

Cuckoo

It repeated its trademark noise seven more times. It was now ten in the evening. At such an hour, it would be wise to turn in for the night. Staying up much later would result in an "insufficient quantity of sleep", which was the Dread team's leader, Meia's, normal excuse for her exhaustion after she constantly pushed herself too far in every training simulation.

Tick

Tock

Tick

Tock

There was never any change. Each second passed with the same amount of time in between them as the last.

Tick

Tock

Ever unchanging. Simply uninfluenced. Time truly was the master of all.

Tick

Tock

Tick

Tock

Tiiick

Toooock

The clock apparently needed to be oiled. It was an ancient clock. Built since back before the days of colonization or even space travel itself, it had seen many things. It was housed in the room from the age of colonization on the _Nirvana_ away from all the hustle and bustle of the bridge and hangar areas. However, the clock did see things. Secret things. Sadly, no one would ever be able to ask the clock what wonders it had experienced. For it is a clock. And clocks don't talk.

Tiick

Tooock

Tiiick

Tooock

If anyone was listening to the clock's song, they would notice that another sound was now being mingled with its constant rhythm, or rather, faster than it. It was increasing in intensity at a great speed.

Thump, thump, thump, thump

If the clock had eyes, it would have seen a flash of red and white pass by the entrance to the room. However, the clock had none, for it was a clock. If the clock had ears, it would have been well aware of the sorrow that Dita was feeling. It might have been able to comfort her. Sadly, it was but a mere clock.

Okay, let the flames begin. Yes, I know it was short. Yes, I know that many of you are getting tired of me not keeping true to me always saying "Just one more chapter, I promise!" But I've been needing to get back to this story for a while. And what better way than by a quick six hundred word chapter?

"If you're happy and you know it, review my story!"

"If you're happy and you know it, review my story!"

"If you're happy and you know it, then your words will truly show it!"

"If you're happy and you know it, review my story!"


	8. Dita

Well, I've decided. There will be nine chapters. Why? I like that number. I always have. I like the number nine.

Disclaimer: Vandread, all characters, places, events, terminology, and sex references in Vandread are completely out of my circle of power. However, that will soon change as I slowly take over the minds of Gonzo through mass subliminal messaging. Soon, all will bow down to me as I, the almighty wolfensoul9, take over the world through Vandread. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Note: This plot is entirely fictitious, I have no plans for a world takeover, no means of subliminal messaging, no henchmen, no nukes, in fact, I have shit. Of course, that CAN be a rather powerful weapon in its own right.

Note 2: Whoa, sorry about that, everything from "disclaimer" to "right" was typed by a little demon in my head that periodically comes out to do evil things.

Chapter eight: Dita

"_Dita is such an awful person!"_

These were the thoughts that ran through the young woman's head as she raced along the unfamiliar corridors of the _Nirvana_. On most other days, she would not have entered this area of the _Nirvana_. That is, unless one of her chases with Hibiki just so happened to lead her there.

"_Dita is so cruel!"_

Tears...

Her tears spilled from her eyes. Falling to the floor.

Soundless… and yet…

And yet…

"M-Mr. Alien… Oh Mr. Al-al-alien I-I'm so-o-o so-or-ry!" Her speech pattern was broken, unrelenting sobs took their toll on the poor girl.

Dita's breaths came in faster and harder, she was so tired. But what did it matter? She didn't deserve a rest. No… certainly not she.

Dita tripped and fell to the floor with a large bump.

"_Dita is a heartless monster!"_

Pain… pain everywhere. It was amazing… how could she... she who had done such an act… how could she still feel pain? Pain is a natural part of being human. So… how is it that she could still feel it? She wasn't human. No… Not after what she had done…

(flashback)

Analysis complete

"Wha- who said that?" Hibiki looked around the room, eyes searching for some unseen object.

Dita giggled at Hibiki's paranoia. _"Oh Mr. Alien, always trying so hard to defeat the bad aliens…" _

"Don't worry Mr. Alien; it was just the nice computer." "He's going to tell us what happened to you."

Hibiki just looked at her with a scrutinizing stare. "You do realize that the computer is neither a he or she, right?"

But Dita just kept smiling and said happily "Of course Mr. Alien!"

Hibiki sighed. She was hopeless.

"_Simply hopeless…" _Hibiki thought to himself.

Why was it that she was so extraordinarily happy to be with him? It was strange… her smile always got bigger and her eyes… oh her eyes…

"_What the hell is wrong with you?!" "Snap out of it!" "They're just eyes!"_

"_Just a pair of blue eyes…" "That's all…" _

"_So big and blue…"_

They were still together, Dita blissful in Hibiki's arms… he began to feel strange… his mouth was awfully dry, and his face felt like he was in the middle of the A.L.T.I.S. He could feel his heart beat faster with every thump as he looked at that ever-present smile on her heart-shaped face; her breath was calm and rhythmatic. His on the other hand, was quickening its pace, and he felt his chest start to go up and down faster. Normally, Hibiki really wouldn't have noted this. But as he stared at that alien-obsessed girl, with all of her unforgiving cuteness as she lay on his shirt and clutching his arms around her so happily, he attempted to suppress it for fear of disturbing her from her rest.

"_She looks so…"_

"_I just…"_

"_Ahh…"_

"_I…"_

Hibiki's mind was racing its own self. He did indeed feel strange. Stranger than even he usually felt when around Dita. His face could now rival Dita's hair, he swore he could feel his pulse through vibrations on the bed, and he began to feel a familiar shiver run down his spine…

Even though Hibiki's thoughts were all ajumble (yes, I know that's not a word) one seemed to force it's way through the mass of confusion that he was feeling…

"_I just want that happiness of hers to last forever…"_

He felt so confused. What was this that he was feeling? How could a tough man like him be so easily corrupted? And by her no less! Hadn't he always only considered her an annoyance?! Would she never cease her incessant callings of "Mr. Alien"?! Why did she call him that anyways?!

And besides, how could it be, that he who had been told all his life that women were the enemy, now finds himself holding one in his arms? And… was he stroking her hair?! His eyes moved from their nervous resting place; the ceiling, to his right hand. Indeed he was.

It was becoming increasingly frequent, that Hibiki found himself acting not entirely according to his will. And, after further analysis, he realized that this happened only when Dita was around. He moved his eyes once again to the girl resting her head against him. How could it be? Merely a couple months ago, this sort of situation would have, dare he say it… frightened him.

But now… now he felt that his liver was perfectly safe. And in fact…

Could it possibly be…?

Was… was he enjoying it?! Well… he did rather like it how she would constantly endeavor to make her friends happy… she was so much different from all of the jackasses back on his home planet, that's for sure. And the way she would always do her very hardest to make sure that he especially was never without her smile. The way her eyes would plead for him to come to her room…

The way she would always happily search for him every day; always wanting to be with him…

NO! What was he thinking?! This was madness! Yes, surely that was the reason for his strange behavior. Madness, yes, that's it. Nothing a little food couldn't solve. When was the last time he had eaten…?

Dita was so happy. She didn't know what had made Hibiki allow her to be in such close proximity to him. Normally, Hibiki would try and run away, or yell at her for being such a "baka". And yet, here they were, she with her head on his chest using his breathing to quietly lull herself to sleep. Needless to say, Dita was relishing in every second that she was comfortably nestled in his arms. She was confused as to why he would allow her to remain next to him, normally such physical contact was greeted by pushing Dita and her hug away… But that made no difference now.

No, what mattered now was that she was finally with her "uchiijin-san" (anybody know the correct spelling, please inform me). Her efforts had not been in vain. She had succeeded, if only for the moment, but ah, what a momentous moment that was.

Complete peace and happiness…desire for nothing else…

What a rarity that is for humans… to be completely fulfilled.

Yes, what a rarity indeed.

Yes… at last.

"_Dita… is so happy…" _she quietly thought to herself as she sighed contentedly and began to drift off to sleep… on cloud nine.

Hibiki started to realize that Dita was falling asleep. He watched her eyelids droop over the obviously exhausted girl. Even though he knew she had probably just woken up from her… erm… little nap… he had the vague notion that Dita didn't get much rest in it. Why? He had no idea.

The image of Dita on top of him for hours made his face turn magenta and his, oddly already very queasy, stomach even more upset. He tried to make some conversation so as to keep her awake.

"So… uh… w-where is everyone?" Hibiki could barely get the words out. His tongue felt swollen, for some reason.

"Mmm… wha… sorry… so sleepy…" Dita sighed as she semi-consciously tried to wake herself up.

Hibiki's vision started to blacken. It was brief, but the room was enclosed in dark for a split second before returning to normal.

"I… the crew… where's… Duero?"

"I… Unnh!"

His stomach began to feel like someone was forcing a rock through it from the inside out.

"Hur… Arrgh!"

Dita's eyes snapped open. She instantly removed her weight from Hibiki.

"Mr. Alien! Oh, what's wrong?!" "Are you okay?!" "Tell me where it hurts!" Dita's voice was near overridden with panic.

With the absence of additional pressure, Hibiki found the pain to go down enough to enable conversation.

"Dita… my stomach… please…" Hibiki wheezed.

"_Ah… listen to me… I sound so weak… asking, no…. pleading for help!" _His hand balled into a fist. What was wrong with him?!

"_Get up! Get up dammit!" _

Hibiki raised his head off the pillow and found that he could no longer see. The room was not there. Nothing was.

"What… the hell?" He said shakily and began to move his arms around, trying to get some sort of reaction from his eyes.

The sight of Hibiki waving his arms, looking for all the world like death himself was certainly distressing to his companion.

"Mr. Alien!" "Please, what should I do?!" Dita cried, hoping that somebody would come to her aid.

Water…

"I don't know! Figure out what the hell is wrong with me!" Hibiki yelled.

Water, water everywhere…

"_I must help Mr. Alien!" "I will save Mr. Alien, and then… then maybe he'll be so happy that he'll come to my room!" _

"_He WILL be alright, Dita will make sure of that!" _She thought to herself as she raced to the computer.

But not a drop to drink…

(flashback end)

Dita lay on the floor, her hair, once so neat and tidy, lay strewn about, covering her body like a blanket. She dared not remember the rest. She didn't want to remind herself of what she did.

Dita killed Hibiki.

No authors notes except for

18, 5, 22, 9, 5, 23

Heh, it's a code. Cool, right?


End file.
